Maple syrup

[Lead pot]

Are any of you making Syrup?
The sap is running slow this year. I don't know if the unusually warm winter has started the sap to run early with the early warm spells or what is going on. The sap from the Walnut trees are doing fair but not the Maples. I did not tap any Boxelders so I cant say what they are doing.
Kurt

[Morgan61]

I don't make syrup but there's a guy who taps the maple trees in the woods where I walk my dogs and he's had his taps in for about 2 weeks now. He seems to be doing alright judging by the way his bags are filling up.

[Lead pot]

I'm in the NW Ill so my temperatures will be close to mine.
It has been a while since I tapped trees and I usually start late January or first of Feb. This year I got a late start 3 weeks later then usual. The trees that are in heavy growth are doing better then the trees in the open. Maybe the more direct sun has started the flow earlier.

[JWFilips]

Here in the Northeast we got some March weather in February so My friends have been Sapping....We just went through a few very cold days and nights so It may have slowed down now but back to normal this upcoming week

[Geezer in NH]

Got 4 sugar shacks within 3 miles of me. They are going full throttle. My son and I went to our friends this afternoon for eggs boiled in the sap and cold ones on the side.

Wife not happy with the gas made tonight while watching the TV.

[MaryB]

I should order what I need to tap the boxelder in my yard... it might be running already though with this warm weather

[Dryball]

never heard of tapping walnut trees. I like black birch though

[Teddy (punchie)]

never heard of tapping walnut trees. I like black birch though

Yea hows that taste ?? Both sound good.

Temps here started warming in Jan way before local Parks taps were in. I recall something about taste changing after one thing or and other, like budding stage ?? Leafing stage ?? or was it just a too high of temp ??

[Bulldogger]

Haven't any maples near enough to me to make it worth all the driving around, but I've long wondered what maple sap beer tastes like. The Joy of Homebrewing states it used to be quite common to ferment the sap like any other beer. Anyone here try that?
Bulldogger

[Lead pot]

Haven't any maples near enough to me to make it worth all the driving around, but I've long wondered what maple sap beer tastes like. The Joy of Homebrewing states it used to be quite common to ferment the sap like any other beer. Anyone here try that?
Bulldogger

I thought about putting a coil on top of the pot to see what will flow out.
It's best to tap early then to late. This year I should have done that job in January. Around here the trees are budded out early this year.
Black, white and butter nut makes good sap.

[Lead pot]

Well the flow has stopped again from the Maples. I pulled the first taps and drove wood plugs in the holes and retapped about 20" above the ground and picked on a different root. As soon as the drill bit was pulled out I got a strong flow, I thought OH BOY!! and in just 2.5 hrs the gallon milk jug was 1/2 filled so I dumped the sap just before dark and the next morning 4 jugs where running over and sap on the ground.
The first batch I cooked out in a 3 gallon sst pot full was a bust!! I got busy when it had about 8" left in the pot loading ammo for a upcoming match and my wife came down to my mole den saying your first batch is a bust, it cooked dry and burned the sugar.....GROAN......Well the flow stopped last night again so I pulled some taps and plugged the holes and started to cook the sap last night and this morning the two trees still running I added the sap to the kettle. This time I kept a close watch and when the foam was hard to control I transferred it to a large glass pot and finished it on the kitchen range, and the 10 -12 gallons finished a little over a pint of very good sweet syrup. Don't ever let anyone say that when the trees bud out or the buds are dropping you wont get good syrup. You wont get much but nothing wrong with it. I had a hard time stop licking the wood spoon I used to stir the finish. Very good stuff with a good dark color.

Now when my Wife gets home I better hide she might not like her sticky range top from the foam that boiled over.
Next year I wont forget to getting started early. .......Kurt

[MaryB]

I have been thinking of trying a maple mead... http://meadist.com/making-mead/mead-...e-mead-recipe/

Haven't any maples near enough to me to make it worth all the driving around, but I've long wondered what maple sap beer tastes like. The Joy of Homebrewing states it used to be quite common to ferment the sap like any other beer. Anyone here try that?
Bulldogger

[johnson1942]

do as mary b is going to do, tap the boxelders for syrup. they really run hard and you can get gallons from them to boil down. boxelder is a type of maple.

[Dryball]

http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2016/0...-walnut-trees/

Very interesting stuff

[w5pv]

Regular old time ribbon cane syrup for me,just don't care for the maple taste.

[Mleon]

Sap was slow but managed 40gallons of sap and 1 gal of syrup this past weekend in the Catskills NY. I do believe the weather screwed the trees up.

[Mleon]

Cool thanks didnt know about wallnut trees

[Boaz]

Wow I'm no help at all . Never gathered sap ...good luck gettin sap out of a mesquite tree ! Bout all we got here . Cane syrup or sorghum is the only syrup made here bouts .

[Lead pot]

I have a bunch of Mulberry trees I cant get killed off unless I take the backhoe and dig out the roots. Even when I cut them off and drill 1/2" holes in the stump and pour straight Roundup in the holes they still grow back out. I never taped one but the sap sure does flow when they get nicked by the tractor.
They are like a thistle, grow every place where the birds roost.

[Boaz]

Yep , wild mulberry trees are a plague .